Methods and Systems for Facilitating Movement of Articles of Freight

Abstract

Methods and systems for facilitating movement of articles in freight are disclosed. One method comprises reading an article marker comprising article data identifying the article; transmitting the article data to a computing device in electrical communication with a database comprising one or more shipping rules related to the article; associating the article with the one or more shipping rules; reading a second location marker comprising second location data identifying the second location; transmitting the second location data to the computing device; determining whether movement of the article to the second location is consistent with the one or more shipping rules; transmitting a message from the computing device to an annunciator indicating whether movement of the article is consistent with the one or more shipping rules; and setting a state of the annunciator, based on the message.

1 . A method for indicating whether movement of an article from a first location to a second location is consistent with one or more shipping rules, the method comprising:
 reading an article marker comprising article data identifying the article;   transmitting the article data to a computing device, wherein the computing device is in electrical communication with a database comprising one or more shipping rules related to the article;   using the computing device to associate the article, based at least in part on the article data, with the one or more shipping rules in the database;   reading a second location marker comprising second location data identifying the second location;   transmitting the second location data to the computing device;   using the computing device to determine whether movement of the article to the second location is consistent with the one or more shipping rules, based at least in part on the second location data; and   transmitting a message from the computing device to an annunciator, wherein the message indicates whether movement of the article to the second location is consistent with the one or more shipping rules.   
     
     
         2 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the article marker further comprises at least one of the one or more shipping rules related to the article, and the method further comprises:
 reading the article marker comprising the at least one of the one or more shipping rules; and   transmitting the at least one of the one or more shipping rules to the computing device.   
     
     
         3 . The method of  claim 2 , wherein the article marker is configured to receive and store at least one of the one or more shipping rules, and the method further comprises transmitting at least one of the one or more shipping rules to the article marker, such that the at least one of the one or more shipping rules is stored on the article marker. 
     
     
         4 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the article marker further comprises additional information related to the article, and the method further comprises:
 reading the article marker comprising additional information related to the article; and   transmitting the additional information to the computing device.   
     
     
         5 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the article marker is configured to receive and store additional information related to the article, and the method further comprises transmitting additional information related to the article to the article marker, such that the additional information is stored on the article marker. 
     
     
         6 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the article marker or the second location marker is a hand-written marker, a printed bar code, or a radio frequency identification (RFID) device. 
     
     
         7 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the first location is a transport vehicle, and the method further comprises:
 reading a first location marker comprising first location data identifying the transport vehicle;   transmitting the first location data to the computing device; and   using the computing device to associate a location of the transport vehicle with the second location, based at least in part on the first location data.   
     
     
         8 . The method of  claim 7 , wherein the second location is a dock, and a location of the transport vehicle is associated with the dock. 
     
     
         9 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the first location is one of a transport vehicle and a dock, the second location is the other of the transport vehicle and the dock, and wherein the transport vehicle is disposed at or near the dock, and the method further comprises:
 using the computing device to determine whether a disposition of the transport vehicle at or near the dock is consistent with the one or more shipping rules related to the article; and   transmitting a message from the computing device to the annunciator, wherein the message indicates whether the disposition of the transport vehicle at or near the dock is consistent with the one or more shipping rules related to the article.   
     
     
         10 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein at least one of the first location or the second location is a transport vehicle. 
     
     
         11 . The method of  claim 10 , wherein method further comprises:
 transmitting information related to physical condition of the transport vehicle to the computing device; and   storing the information related to physical condition of the transport vehicle in the database.   
     
     
         12 . The method of  claim 10 , wherein the method further comprises generating a placard for the transport vehicle, based at least in part on the article data. 
     
     
         13 . The method of  claim 10 , wherein the method further comprises determining an amount of space utilization of the transport vehicle, based at least in part on the article data. 
     
     
         14 . The method of  claim 10 , wherein the method further comprises receiving user input or comments associated with the transport vehicle. 
     
     
         15 . The method of  claim 10 , wherein the method further comprises generating a manifest for the transport vehicle after the article has been moved to the transport vehicle. 
     
     
         16 . The method of  claim 10 , wherein the method further comprises:
 using the computing device to determine whether a location's actual content and a planned content are different;   transmitting a message from the computing device to the annunciator indicating difference between the actual content and the planned content; and   displaying the message on the annunciator.   
     
     
         17 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising:
 transmitting to the computing device information related to any damage to the article; and   storing the information related to any damage to the article in the database.   
     
     
         18 . The method of  claim 10 , wherein the method further comprises:
 transmitting to the computing device information related to shipping materials used for the article; and   storing the information related to the shipping materials in the database.   
     
     
         19 . The method of  claim 10 , wherein the method further comprises:
 using the computing device to determine one or more limitations relating to placement of the article on the transport vehicle, based at least in part on the one or more shipping rules;   transmitting the one or more limitations from the computing device to the annunciator; and   displaying the one or more limitations on the annunciator.   
     
     
         20 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the first location is a first transport vehicle, and the second location is a second transport vehicle. 
     
     
         21 . The method of  claim 10 , wherein the method further comprises:
 reading a first location marker comprising first location data identifying the first location;   transmitting the first location data to the computing device; and   using the computing device to associate a location of the transport vehicle with the first location, based at least in part on the first location data.   
     
     
         22 . The method of  claim 16 , further comprising determining whether an overage or a shortage exists for the transport vehicle, based at least in part on the article data. 
     
     
         23 . The method of  claim 10 , wherein: the first location is a transport vehicle;
 at least a portion of the database, including at least one of the one or more shipping rules, is disposed on a readable memory device coupled to a document associated with the transport vehicle;   and the method further comprises,   reading the portion of the database, including at least one of the one or more shipping rules, from the readable memory device coupled to the document, and   transmitting at least a portion of the database from the readable memory device to the computing device.   
     
     
         24 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising: transmitting additional information related to the article to the computing device; and
 storing the additional information related to the article in the database.   
     
     
         25 . The method of  claim 24 , wherein the additional information transmitted to the computing device is a photograph of the article or notes regarding a condition of the article. 
     
     
         26 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising:
 reading a first location marker comprising first location data identifying the first location;   transmitting the first location data to the computing device;   transmitting a first time stamp to the computing device indicating a time when the first location marker was read;   after the article is moved to the second location, transmitting a second time stamp to the computing device indicating a time when the second location marker was read; and   using the computing device to determine an elapsed time for movement of the article, based on the first time stamp and the second time stamp.   
     
     
         27 . The method of  claim 26 , further comprising transmitting to the computing device an identity of a person moving the article. 
     
     
         28 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising transmitting an action taken by a person with respect to the article. 
     
     
         29 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the article comprises one or more handling units, and the article marker comprises one or more handling unit markers, each associated with the one or more handling units, such that each handling unit marker comprises unique data corresponding to the associated handling unit. 
     
     
         30 . A method for determining whether to move an article disposed at a first location, the method comprising:
 reading an article marker comprising article data identifying the article;   transmitting article data to a computing device, wherein the computing device is in electrical communication with a database comprising one or more shipping rules related to the article;   using the computing device to associate the article, based at least in part on the article data, with the one or more shipping rules in the database;   reading a first location marker comprising first location data identifying the first location;   transmitting first location data to the computing device;   using the computing device to determine whether to move the article from the first location, based at least in part on the one or more shipping rules and the first location data;   transmitting a message from the computing device to an annunciator, wherein the message indicates determination of whether to move the article from the first location; and   
       setting a state of the annunciator, based on the message. 
     
     
         31 . The method of  claim 30 , wherein the article marker further comprises at least one of the one or more shipping rules related to the article, and the method further comprises:
 reading the article marker comprising the one or more shipping rules; and   transmitting at least one of the one or more shipping rules to the computing device.   
     
     
         32 . The method of  claim 31 , wherein the article marker is configured to receive and store at least one of the one or more shipping rules, and the method further comprises transmitting at least one of the one or more shipping rules to the article marker, such that the at least one of the one or more shipping rules is stored on the article marker. 
     
     
         33 . The method of  claim 30 , wherein upon determining the article is to be moved from the first location, the method further comprises:
 determining a second location to move the article, based at least in part on the one or more shipping rules;   transmitting the second location from the computing device to the annunciator; and   displaying the second location on the annunciator.   
     
     
         34 . The method of  claim 30 , further comprising:
 transmitting a first time stamp to the computing device indicating a time when the first location marker is read;   reading a second location marker comprising second location data identifying a second location;   transmitting the second location data to the computing device;   after the article is moved to the second location, transmitting a second time stamp to the computing device indicating a time when the second location marker is read; and   using the computing device to determine an elapsed time for movement of the article, based on the first time stamp and the second time stamp.   
     
     
         35 . The method of  claim 30 , further comprising:
 determining whether the article has a high priority, based at least in part on the one or more shipping rules;   transmitting an indication of the high priority from the computing device to the annunciator; and   displaying the indication on the annunciator.   
     
     
         36 . The method of  claim 30 , wherein the first location is a transport vehicle, and the method further comprises:
 transmitting to the computing device additional information related to physical condition of the transport vehicle; and   storing the additional information related to physical condition of the transport vehicle in the database.   
     
     
         37 . A method for indicating whether movement of an article from a first location to a second location is consistent with one or more shipping rules, the method comprising:
 receiving into a computing device article data identifying the article, wherein the computing device is in electrical communication with a database comprising one or more shipping rules related to the article;   associating the article, based at least in part on the article data, with the one or more shipping rules in the database;   receiving into the computing device second location data identifying the second location;   determining, by the computing device, whether movement of the article to the second location is consistent with the one or more shipping rules, based at least in part on the second location data; and   transmitting a message from the computing device to an annunciator, wherein the message indicates whether movement of the article to the second location is consistent with the one or more shipping rules.   
     
     
         38 . A method for determining whether to unload a transport vehicle disposed at a location, the method comprising:
 reading a transport vehicle marker comprising transport vehicle data identifying the transport vehicle;   transmitting transport vehicle data to the computing device, wherein the computing device is in electrical communication with a database comprising one or more shipping rules related to the transport vehicle;   reading a location marker comprising location data identifying the location;   using the computing device to determine whether to unload the transport vehicle, based at least in part on the one or more shipping rules and the location data;   transmitting a message from the computing device to an annunciator, wherein the message indicates determination of whether to unload the transport vehicle; and   
       setting a state of the annunciator, based on the message. 
     
     
         39 . A system for indicating whether movement of an article from a first location to a second location is consistent with one or more shipping rules, the system comprising:
 an article marker, a second location marker, a reader, a computing device, a database, and an annunciator; and wherein:
 the article marker is mechanically coupled to the article and comprises article data identifying the article; 
 the second location marker is associated with the second location and comprises second location data identifying the second location; 
 the reader is operable to read the article data from the article marker and the second location data from the second location marker and transmit the article data and the second location data to the computing device; 
 the computing device is communicatively coupled to the database comprising one or more shipping rules related to the article; 
 the computing device is operable to associate the article, based at least in part on the article data, with the one or more shipping rules in the database; 
 the computing device is operable to determine whether movement of the article to the second location is consistent with the one or more shipping rules, based at least in part on the second location data; 
 the computing device is operable to transmit a message to the annunciator indicating whether movement of the article to the second location is consistent with the one or more shipping rules; and 
 the annunciator is operable to indicate whether movement of the article to the second location is consistent with the one or more shipping rules. 
   
     
     
         40 . The system of  claim 39 , wherein the reader is mechanically coupled to a forklift or a door of a dock. 
     
     
         41 . The system of  claim 39 , wherein the reader comprises the computing device, at least a portion of the database, and the annunciator.